Mandel’s ACC picks: Clemson, FSU will watch title game from the couch

After winning or playing for championships in six of its first eight years in the ACC, Virginia Tech has taken a slide the past three seasons. Frank Beamer hit a modern low point in 2014, suffering his first losing record in league play (3-5) since 2002 in the Big East. All the while, cross-division foes Florida State and Clemson have emerged as the conference’s clear powerhouses.